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Weird me out

MUSIC Here is a partial list of not quite idioms, butchered sayings, and quasi heartfelt beliefs the Melvins' Buzz "King Buzzo" Osborne peppered throughout a conversation during a phone call last week from his home in Hollywood.

"We can't be lion tamers all the time." "You can accuse me of a lot of things, being lazy isn't one of them." "When in fear, or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout." "Treat me right, I'll be your best friend. Treat me wrong, you don't exist."

At least one of those deserves to be crocheted on a throw pillow. Or screenprinted on a Melvins backpatch.

"WE CAN'T BE LION TAMERS ALL THE TIME."

Singer-guitarist Osborne met his longtime collaborator, drummer Dale Crover, in 1984, Aberdeen, Wash., one year after the Melvins had formed and were performing mostly Cream covers. Crover was also in a bad cover band, but Osborne knew he could play well, so he invited him to join his band.

"There's a fine line between genius and stupidity for both of us. I like playing with him, one way or another," Osborne says of their continued relationship. "And it seems to work, no reason to quit — until he gives me a reason, then that will be it." Osborne's speech patterns raise often with sarcasm; in person that signature fuzzy grey 'fro of his is likely shaking, punctuating each joke.

After that first shaky year, the Melvins got an early foothold in the blending of punk and metal, influenced by first round Black Flag (The band would go on to influence scores of musicians itself, recently, Mastodon).

"Somehow I realized even then that I needed to work on writing my own music, not relying on playing cover songs — even though we love to play cover songs, and we still do. But I started writing music pretty quickly. Sometimes we still play those first songs I ever wrote."

"YOU CAN ACCUSE ME OF A LOT OF THINGS, BEING LAZY ISN'T ONE OF THEM."

In the past some 29 years, the Melvins — which is made up of a rotating lineup, save for Osborne and Crover — have recorded 19 full-length albums, and that's not counting countless other releases (singles, EPs, comps).

Since the end of December, the band recorded more than 50 songs, Osborne notes proudly as his Jack Russell Terriers scream in the background. Included in that batch is The Bulls & the Bees EP, released for free download through Scion last month and the Freak Puke LP, which will be out in June on Ipecac.

Up next, there's the upcoming Freak Puke, which is being touted as Melvins Lite. In this record, the band is a trio: Osborne, Crover, and Trevor Dunn of Mr. Bungle and Fantomas fame on stand-up bass.

Freak Puke is similarly dense and dark, so that's not the reason for the 'Lite' attached to the name. Is it? Osborne explains: "You be the judge. We've always done lighter stuff. I'll just say it's Melvins lighter in weight, as in, our weight is less with three guys in it, as opposed to four. That record just has a different vibe."

He's, of course, right, it's more the vibe of the record that sets it apart. The frenzied plucking of strings that kick off "Baby, Won't You Weird Me Out" take the Melvins even further down the strange hybrid wormhole they've long been building out of mud — yet not so far that we can't recognize their inimitable sound.